Former Alabama great Keith McCants arrested on drug charges

View full sizeKeith McCants (seen in a mugshot from last December) was arrested Wednesday night and charged with attempting to buy drugs.MOBILE, Ala. -- Former University of Alabama standout linebacker Keith McCants was arrested Wednesday night on warrants accusing him with attempting to purchase drugs at a hotel, according the Mobile County Sheriff's Office.

The incident took place on April 20 at the Howard Johnson on Government Boulevard, according to Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Lori Myles.

McCants, 42, was charged with attempting to commit a controlled substance crime and use/possession of drug paraphernalia, said Myles. The former NFL star, who remained in jail Thursday in lieu of $3,000 bail, was scheduled to appear in Mobile County District Court today for a hearing, according to Myles.

A warrant was also issued for Sarah Caruso, 40, who was with McCants at the hotel, Myles said. Caruso, charged with use/possession of drug paraphernalia, had not been arrested as of Thursday, according to Myles.

McCants and Caruso were not arrested at the hotel on April 20, according to Myles, because deputies didn't have a signed warrant before they were called out on an emergency situation. She said deputies knew McCants and where he lived and didn't consider him "life-threatening."

Warrants were subsequently issued for the two, she said.

The latest charges against the former Alabama star come four months after he was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and loitering for the purpose of drug activity.

McCants landed a lucrative contract to play in the NFL when he was drafted fourth overall in 1990. But he left the sport after a short, injury-plagued career.

McCants has told the Press-Register how his football injuries led to an addiction to painkillers, which in turn led to an addiction to street drugs.

More than a year ago, he was convicted of loitering and possession of drug paraphernalia, officials have said. He was sentenced to one year of formal probation and a substance abuse program.